Local Initiatives
Co-ops and the Silver Facebook
Electric cooperatives: Your next friend on Facebook might surprise you.
Rosie Chapman logs on to Facebook at her home in Orlando, Fla. She is among a growing number of people using social networking. (Photo By: Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel/MCT)
While social media use has grown dramatically across all age groups, enthusiasm has especially gone up among users ages 55 and up—a national trend that’s also borne out among co-ops.
Among this group, there’s been a steady uptick in Facebook use, according to the upcoming Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives’ 2011 National Survey on the Cooperative Difference.
While Facebook participation among the 18-35 set has largely stabilized (69 percent in 2009, 74 percent in 2010, and 72 percent last year), it’s a different story among older users, according to the survey of more than 14,000 members at 60 co-ops.
Among Internet users ages 55-64, Facebook engagement rose to 40 percent, compared to 34 percent last year. For ages 65 and over, more than a quarter log on to Facebook, up slightly from 2010.
“Facebook is continuing to gain traction among older members, while it’s flattened out among younger members,” said Tom Laing, director of market research at TSE Services, which conducted the survey.
National statistics show a similar trend. Social networking use among Internet users ages 50 and older nearly doubled, from 22 percent in April 2009 to 42 percent in May 2010, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
And if co-ops were wondering whether Facebook will have traction for members 55 and over, more than half of those using social media said they would be interested in joining their cooperative’s Facebook page.
As “social media is becoming more and more of how things are done,” growth among those 55 and over is likely to keep coming, said Jason McGrade, Touchstone Energy’s senior web development and social media specialist.
“Because Facebook is a known entity and so built into other aspects of web interaction and smart phone devices, it’s a natural progression,” McGrade explained.
“It’s becoming part of the usability of websites and what’s expected from users. It makes sense you wouldn’t see just college kids being involved.”
The 2011 National Survey on the Cooperative Difference will be mailed to Touchstone Energy members this spring. For the 2010 survey, registered users of cooperative.com can click here.
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